Friday, September 30, 2016

I showered and shaved, slathered on my favorite sweet-smelling body lotion, slid into the dress after deciding on a thong and no bra, thanks to the mesh, and curled and teased my hair, giving it body and height that looked kick-ass paired with my outfit.

I also went to town on my makeup job, keeping everything heavy but the kind of heavy that screamed fierce concertgoer and not back alley hooker.

The kind of pretty a girl had to commemorate with a selfie, and there was only one person in the entire world I wanted to send that selfie to.

I bit my lip while swiping my phone off the bed and pulling up the camera mode.

I was nervous.

Understandably so. This would be the first time Brian was going to see me.

Like ever.

Heavy stuff right there.

I’d thought about sending him pictures before, but got sidetracked with conversation and his sweet as warmed honey voice I wanted to taste, and all thoughts of pictures would slip my mind. Considering he never asked to see a photo of me didn’t help either.

Since he wasn’t bringing it up, I was hardly thinking about it.

But right now, standing in my bedroom with my makeup done up and my hair looking prettier than it had on prom night, sending Brian a picture of me was suddenly all I could think about.

And before I could think or whisper talk myself out of it, I reversed the camera so I could see myself on the screen, held the device out in front of me and off to the right a bit, pursed my stained lips into a kiss, other hand poised at my chin to blow it, and snapped the picture.

Then I attached it to a text and hit Send.

Feeling WILD.

I wanted to put my phone down. Really I did, especially since I had to snap on my studded cuff bracelet and that required use of both hands, furthermore because Tori had given me a fifteen-minute warning close to fifteen minutes ago, but I couldn’t let the damn thing go.

I couldn’t stop looking at it either.

My stomach was clenched. I was biting my fist and pacing the length of the bed, head down and eyes anxiously focused.

But when the little bubbles floated in teasing intervals on my screen and I knew Brian had seen my photo, that’s when the real panic set in.

Would he like how I looked? Would it be how he had imagined and confessed to imagining countless times late at night to me, or better, would my photo exceed the limits of his imagination and paint a more pleasing image in his mind?

Or would he hate it and me for sending it to him, shattering his dreamed-up spank-bank material and ruining every orgasm I ever gave him?

Shit.

Shit!

Which was it and why the hell was he taking so long to type? Didn’t he know this was killing me?

“Hurry up!” I whispered against the screen.

It started ringing in response to my plea, startling me and nearly slipping out of my hand.

Sydney Paige was never so mortified to hear the words "wrong number" in her life. She meant to tell off the guy who broke her best friend's heart, but unleashed her anger on a perfect stranger instead. And now her world is turned upside down by the captivating man who wants to keep her on the line.

Brian Savage is living a life he's quickly come to hate-until Sydney's wild rant has him hooked and hungry for more. Soon the sexy woman on the phone becomes the lover in his bed. But Brian has secrets, and the closer he lets Syd get, the harder it is to shield her from the devastating mistakes of his past . . .

Author Information

J. Daniels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Sweet Addiction series, the Alabama Summer series, and the upcoming Dirty Deeds series.

She would rather bake than cook, she listens to music entirely too loud, and loves writing stories her children will never read. Her husband and children are her greatest loves, with cupcakes coming in at a close second.

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Cage West has spent his entire life waiting for that one special woman to turn his world upside down. As a detective with the local PD, he fills his hours investigating criminals with little time left for much else. When a tip comes into the office about a possible kidnapping at a suspiciously familiar address, Cage is prepared to do whatever it takes to rescue the girl, but when he lays eyes on sweet, innocent Tessa, a firestorm knocks him off his feet. She needs him, and he damn sure wants her–for now, for life, forever.

Nineteen-year-old Tessa Talbot hasn't seen the outside world in two years. Her stepfather keeps her under his thumb after the tragic death of her mother, convinced she'll only succumb to all the sins the world has to offer. He's kept her wildly untouched, and after years of sheltered homeschooling, she's doubtful her life will ever look any different. That is until one tall, dark, and devilishly handsome detective knocks on her door.

Scared to let him in, even more afraid to turn him away, Tessa makes the decision of her life and decides to trust the man she's only just met and leave the only world she's ever known behind. She's just praying the past won't return to haunt her, he's just praying he can save her when it does.

Cage wagged his eyebrows at me and nearly had me choking on a burst of laughter. He was silly, sweet, and sexy—was there anything better?

"How about this one?" The sales clerk held up a slinky black number with a deep vee.

"No way." Cage shook his head firmly. "Something a little less revealing."

"Wait, I kind of like that." I fingered the short hemline.

"Over my dead body, Tessa. Saved you once, not going to do it again just because you want to wear that scrap-of-nothing excuse for a dress."

"Well, this one then?" The clerk held up another black dress, this one with a high neckline and a completely open back.

"Yes."

"No way in hell."

"Cage!" I nudged his shoulder before swiping the dress from the woman's hands and heading for the changing rooms in back.

"Tessa." His throaty reply followed me.

I turned and cast him one last glance, the fire in my eyes burning bright as a mischievous smile danced on my lips. I ducked into the changing room and slid the latch on the door. I didn't love the dress—I'd seen prettier ones just walking through—but I loved the way it made his eyes light up.

I stepped out of the dressing room a minute later. Cage’s eyes crawled up my skin, a wolfish fire burning in his eyes. "So help me, God. If you think I'm going to let you leave the house in that, you're insane."

"Really? I think it's perfect." The smile on my lips betrayed me when I stepped out of the dressing room and did a small twirl. "Don't you think?"

Silence hung in the space between us. After a few too-long beats I spun, my gaze landing on his.

"Jesus, Tessa. What are you trying to do to me?" His ocean eyes crawled my body, moving up my legs, dancing over the curves of my breasts, and I closed my eyes in shame. Maybe he didn't like it like I'd thought he would.

I turned and reached for the door of the dressing room, prepared to rip the awful dress off and get out of here. I'd embarrassed myself, and I wanted nothing more than to tuck tail and run.

"Tessa." Warm fingertips grazed the small of my back, hovering around the curve before slinking up my spine. Goosebumps burned through my body and heightened every aroused nerve I had. "You're so fucking beautiful, all I can think about is slipping this dress off you. But I don’t want to scare you, Tessa. I need you to feel safe and wanted. I want you to feel loved."

About the Author

Aria Cole is a thirty-something housewife who once felt bad for reading dirty books late at night, until she decided to write her own. Possessive alpha men and the sassy heroines who love them are common, along with a healthy dose of irresistible insta-love and happily ever afters so sweet your teeth may ache.

Aria's new release BLACK is the first in her modern fairy tale series. For a safe, off-the-charts HOT, and always HEA story that doesn't take a lifetime to read, get lost in an Aria Cole book!

Max Anderson enjoys all the perks of being a star NFL quarterback―including the women. He has no intention of changing his carefree, hard-loving lifestyle … until a twist of fate reunites him with the girl he knew growing up.

Abby Morrison has worked hard to become a physical therapist. She knows she needs to keep things professional with Max -- but the truth is, she’s always loved him. Back then, she hid it. Now, it’s not so easy.

As they rekindle their friendship, the heat between them is impossible to ignore. Soon it flares out of control, and the fallout threatens to ruin everything. Can they salvage a future together ... or will the consequences wreck their lives?

The time came around nine o’clock when we’d all stuffed ourselves. Abby stood up from the table, a little wobbly. I swooped in, waiting for her to decide it was time to go.

“Come on. I’ll take you home,” I murmured, taking her by the elbow. She looked up at me.

“No,” she murmured.

“What?”

“No. I don’t want you to take me home. Now will you move?”

“Wait. Slow down.”

“I want somebody else, Max. Now move.”

“Who?”

“Anybody. It doesn’t matter. Just not you.” She shook me off—thank God we’d both been whispering, or practically, because it didn’t seem like anybody else noticed. I followed her out the door to the restaurant’s entrance.

“You can’t drive in this condition,” I warned her.

“Then I’ll get a cab. You can leave now.” She glared at me, her cheeks flushed.

“What?”

“You ruined it. You always ruin it.”

“How the hell did I ruin anything?”

She looked back into the restaurant, frowning. “I was having fun. People were talking to me, seeing me, liking me. And you had to take over like you always do.”

My car pulled up in front of us, and I took the keys from the valet. “Come on. I’ll drive you home, and we can talk about it on the way.” I practically threw her into the car before she could curse me out, then got in myself. Once I locked the doors from my side, she couldn’t open them.

“What the fuck Max!” She slapped the dashboard, then sank into her seat with a groan. “I was having fun. I was about to get laid, damn it!”

I bit my tongue until I calmed down. “By whom?”

“I don’t know! What did it matter? I was gonna get some for me, for once. And you won’t let me. I have to always be there for you, but you can never be there for me. You couldn’t just let me enjoy myself. No, you probably wanted to tell me all about your stupid fucking cheerleader girlfriend and ask me what you should do about her!” There was so much venom in her voice. She hated me.

I pulled over to the shoulder of the road. “What are you doing?” she asked. I unbuckled my belt without saying a word, then turned to her.

“You wanna know why I wanted to take you home?” I reached out, grabbing her by the shoulders. I pulled her to me before she could push me away and crushed my mouth against hers.

She only fought me for a split second before giving in. She sighed, relaxing, and I wrapped my arms around her. Her lips were so sweet, soft and yielding. When I slid my tongue between them, they opened to give me better access. I tasted the inside of her mouth, taking my time. This girl who had been my friend for so long, and she was right—I’d used her in a way. This girl who was always there for me without asking anything in return. This sexy, incredible girl.

The kiss deepened, with her tongue dancing alongside mine. She wrapped her arms around my neck, almost growling. Sounding hungry, desperate. I ran one of my hands over her body, listening to the way the breath caught in her throat. She whined a little, pressing against me, and when I made contact with her tits she moaned into my mouth.

By the time the kiss ended, we were both breathless. Her eyes were wide, stunned.

“That’s why,” I whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Tia Lewis is a romance author from the Midwest who writes about smart, sexy, sassy women and hot, possessive alpha males. Her favorite bad boys to write about include sports players, mafia, bikers, billionaires and the bad-ass next door. You can find her cooking, reading, or traveling when she’s not busy working on her next release.